Fresh rojak

Rojak being the metaphor of what's been going on in my life. No, not the food - no culinary nirvana here.

Fresh because of what's coming up in my life next: Broken Bridges rehearsals begin again come Monday. Possibly being Stage Manager for Candlelight Christmas. Rehearsals for Ah Steve. Possibly joining Agel and making it my primary source of income. Australia. My birthday. Christmas. New Year. Potential commercials and ads and voiceovers and gawd knows what else I've thrown myself into.

And fresh because you need to throw out the old one to make a new batch. Put it all down before it rots in the limitless expanse of my mind.


The Odd Couple

Tomorrow marks the last day I can call myself the ASM of The Odd Couple. It's been a wonderful experience, and really such a breeze thanks to the awesome people I've been working with. I'm glad it's been a relatively short process, as I think I'd have been bored of the script had I had to hear it daily for another month. There's only been a couple of stressful moments, and I predict that tomorrow will be one. To self-debrief:

1. Know the script inside-out. The SM (team) needs to know what's going on all the time. Where actors are onstage, to when and where they enter, to what props they're carrying. What props go where, and when. Who they belong to in the first (and last) place. Even technical details - lights on where when, sound effects, music. It's funny, but the SM is even bigger than any actor - s/he runs the play as a well-oiled machine, and the actors are cogs of the machine - it's the director who hones and refines them. Rehearsals are the lubricant that keeps things running smoothly. Hmmm maybe it's more accurate to say that the director designs the machine, then passes it over to the SM to run it.
2. Plan plan plan. Make sure every contingency is covered for, however unlikely. It doesn't have to be super-clear and exact, but at least having an idea of what could work is better than having to think of one in the heat of the moment.
   
3. Tools. Use anything and everything that'll make things easier. That's obvious, but sometimes the effort may seem not worth the benefit - do it! I made a list of events and entries/exits of actors + props that really helped during the times my brain wasn't functioning so well.

In the end, it's the people you'll remember. I'm happy to say that I've met some people who I believe I'll still call 'friend' in years to come. Cast and crew alike, it's been a great pleasure and honour working with you. Thank you.


Broken Bridges

Excitement. To be working with such an awesome bunch again.

Fun. To be going on a road trip and staying in Ipoh with said bunch.

Joy. To be singing and prancing and yelling away on stage again.

Curiosity. To be meeting 2 new members of the ensemble.

Trepidation. To knowing who the 3rd new member of the ensemble is.


Miscellany

A bit of inspiration? Hear what Uncle Steve has to say.

Want an invitation to visit Kazakhstan from their deputy foreign minister? Make a brilliant comedy poking fun at the country.

For the geeks: first steps to a working cloak.